Process of baling cotton.



No. 699,||5. Patented Apr. 29, I902.

2 E. REAGAN.

PROCESS OF BALING COTTON.

(Application filed Dec. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

EDGAR REAGAN, FLORESVILLE, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILBUR C.BRUFF, OF FLORESVILLE, TEXAS.

PROCESS OF. BALING COTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 699,115, dated April29, 1902.

Application filed December 26,1901. Serial No. 87,232. (No model.)

To all-whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR REAGAN, a citizen of the United States,.residing'at Floresville, in the county of Wilsonv and State of Texas,have invented a certain'new and 1m.-

proved Process of Baling Cotton; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to a new and improved Now the object of myinvention is to provide an improved method of baling whereby the cottonis heated as it leaves the gin-condenser and then subjected to dry airto relieve it of moisture before reaching the pressing-rollers. Thus Ifirst heat the cotton, then subject it to dry air, while the final stepin my process is to compress the cotton after it has been heated anddried.

.In carrying out my invention I provide rollers arranged adjacent to thegin for heating the cotton as it leaves the condenser withoutsubstantial compression. The heated cotton is then exposed to the actionof dry air on anendless carrier to take up the moisture and conducted bysaid carrier either to an accuinulator-roll or to the pressing-rollers.Be-

tween the heating-rollers and the pressing.

' rollers in the path of said carrier -I arrange thus accumulated anddried is the first fed to the press and forms the central or innerportion of the bale. The airin the pressroom must be kept dry.

The character of press to which my method of baling is best adapted isthe roller-press for forming cylindrical cotton-bales. A type of suchpress is shown in my application forLetters Patent filed in theUnitedStates Patent Office May 16, 1901, Serial No. 60,478.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in sideelevation, showing'a portion of a gin-condenser delivering cotton-bat toheatin g-rollers,an accum ulator-roll and an endless carrier deliveringcotton-bat to the pressing-rollers. Fig. 2.is a detail view in section,showing one of the pair of heatingrollers and axle therefor.

Referring more particularly. to the drawings,TA A denote thecondensing-rollers of the .gin, one of which is provided with asprocket-wheel a. 'i

B denotes the endless carrier, and B the endless carrier-frame; securedat one end to the gin-frame and supported at the other end by a'frame D,forming a part of the stationary pressing-roller frame.

0 denotes a support attached to the frame B, onwhich are journaled thehollow heating-rollers E E.

F denotes a sprocket-wheel mounted on the axleof the roller E.

G denotes a sprocket-wheel mounted on the wheels at, F, and G.

K'denotes ahose or flexible pipe which connectsfthe roller E to a pipeL. The latter pipe" conducts the exhaust-steam from the steam-pressurecylinder (not shown) which operates the movable pressing-rollers. Othermans may be employed,if desired, to furnish heat to the'pipe L. Theupper endof this pipe connects with the axle of roller E. As shown inFig. 2,'the axles of both rollers are provided with inlet-ports e,communicating with the interior of the cylinders to conduct theexhaust-steam thereto,"and withoutletports e, which allow the escape 'ofthe exaxle of the carrier-pulley H, which is jour- .naled inthe frame B.J denotesa sprocket-chain gearing with the haust-steam. The latter portshave any suitable means, such as a rubber hose, to conduct theexhaust-steam from said rollers.

M denotes a stationary frame mounted on 5 the frame B. The frame Mserves as a support for any suitable mechanism for operating anaccumulator-roll-such, for example, as a roll 0, suspended fromframessuch, for example, as frames P P. The roll 0 is shown IO in Fig. 1as idle, the cotton it accumulated having just been discharged andincorporated in the forming bale.

R denotes a feed-roller, and S S S S the pressing-rollers, havingbetween them the forming bale.

It will be seen that the cotton is first passed between theheating-rollers, which heats the cotton-bat on both sides. The heatedcotton is then exposed on the carrier to the action of dry air while itis conveyed to the pressingrollers. If the press is idle, theaccumulatorroll is lowered in position on the carrier to accumulate theheated bat and hold it exposed to the action of the dry air until thepress is again taking bat, when it is reversed and feeds its bat to thecarrier. It is thus conducted to the press,where itis compressed in theforming hale and forms the inner part thereof. As I reserve thecompression of the cotton-bat to the last step in the process, thecotton fiber is kept loose or incompact and freely admits the dry airthrough the bat, thus accelerating the evaporation of moisture therein.

Having thus shown and described my invention, what I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of baling cotton which consists in heating the cotton-batat a point between the gin-condenser and the pressingrollers, exposingsaid heated bat while incompact to the action of dry air, and finallycompressing said bat into bale form.

2, The method of baling cotton which consists in heating the cotton-batat a point between the gin-condenser and the accumulator-roll, windingsaid bat on said roll and exposing it to the action of dry air, andfeeding said bat to the press-rollers to form the interior of the bale.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR REAGAN.

Vitnesses:

S. K. FRANKLIN, JOHN GRIFFITH.

